Kicking the hangover

If you were one to participate in the Quadfest festivities this past weekend, you probably suffered from one of two things – a hangover or citation. The cops were in rare form this past weekend for the anticipation of the infamous Quadfest. It turned out to be nothing short of an absurd amount of cops and zero fun. However, if you were able to find your own safe fun at a close friend’s house you might currently be suffering from a hangover, which is never any fun.

We’ve all been told since we were freshmen through the AlcoholEDU program the best way to avoid a hangover is to drink water. The best way to avoid a hangover is to hydrate way in advance. Studies show that the average person should drink about eight cups of water daily, but ideally it’s a lot more than that when you’ve been drinking.

There is no quick cure to a hangover except for time. You just have to let the alcohol work its way out of your system, which could take up to several hours. The only hope for not getting “the hangover from hell” is to hydrate in between drinks. It sounds childish but it really works, and most people ignore it because it’s not the “cool” thing to do. It’s better to do what is in your best interest.

As far as when the hangover actually does strike, drinking water and taking some pain relief are about the only options you have. Gatorade would probably be your best choice because it contains electrolytes to hydrate you, but sometimes your stomach just can’t muster the sweetness. The best ways to prevent a hangover is to hydrate before, drink water in between drinks, and definitely eat a substantial meal before going out. All textbook rules we have been given before, but undoubtedly necessary to be reminded of again.